Thermopylae Battle

Similar to a bridge battle, a Thermopylae battle is re-enactment of the historical battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC in a narrow mountain pass in Greece.

History

The pass runs from Locris into Thessaly between Mount Oeta and the sea (Maliac Gulf). An alliance of Greek city-states, called the Delian League, fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass. Though vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Persian advance until a defector informed the Persians of a bypass. Leonidas, the Spartan King commanding the army, sent away all but 300 Spartans to hold up the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history. Its loss gave the Persians control as far as the isthmus of Corinth, and the opportunity to sack Athens. However, the Spartan last stand delayed the Persians and served as a rallying point for the Greeks. The Persians were later defeated at the battles of Salamis and Plataea, ending their invasion of Greece.

In Belegarth

A Thermopylae battle is created by taking two teams and placing them on opposite sides of a narrowing field. The team on the more narrow side of the field is outnumbered at least two to one if possible. The team on the narrow side of the field is the defending team. This team cannot move past the narrow opening of the field. The attacking team will move across the field to the narrow end and attempt to break through the defending team into the area behind it. The defending team must prevent any of the members of the larger attacking force from getting past them into the area behind them.

This battle can be set up with any kind of safe visible material that is capeable of making two narrowing lines.